Nike, Made of

MPC Amsterdam, Wieden & Kennedy Amsterdam and Riff Raff’s David Wilson produce ‘Made of’ for Nike Russia, an empowering film celebrating the strength, power and spirit of Russian women this International Women’s Day

The objective of Nike Russia’s new film is to inspire girls and women to get physically active, and give them the courage to walk onto any field or court with the confidence to show the world what they’re made of. Produced in partnership with Riff Raff’s David Wilson and Wieden & Kennedy Amsterdam, with VFX and grade by MPC Amsterdam, the spot challenges outdated ideas of gender roles using athletes as inspiration.

A young girl opens the spot singing the traditional verses of ‘What our girls are made of’ to a packed auditorium. This is one of the most recognisable songs from Russian childhood, with verses that describe little girls being made of ‘flowers’, ‘gossip’ and ‘marmalade’. But seeing some of Russia’s most accomplished athletes appear– including Champion Figure Skater Adelina Sotnikova and Modern Ballerina Olga Kuraeva – the girl starts to change the lyrics to include a more inspirational message:

‘Made of bruises; And of punches. Made of bravery; And of clenched fists. Made of independence; And of skills; Of passion and heart; And of dignity. Made of will; That’s harder than flint. Made of strength; And of fire. Made of freedom; From other people’s opinions. Made of accomplishments; And of achievements. This is what our girls are made of.’

VFX Supervisor Ricky Weissman says: "Nike’s ‘Made of’ film is a fantastic example of the empowerment and defiance that young people today need in order to break down cultural 'norms.' Our hero in this film must gather her strength, as well as the strength of her predecessors, to overcome the expectations of her gender. At MPC we're believers that there should be no walls between gender; only open doors to opportunity, creativity and success. Populating the 'October Theatre' with 5000 people in VFX was a challenge, but with the creativity of our crew, we were able to establish a seamless and jaw-dropping opening shot to create this memorable moment in the spot.”

A clear and powerful message to send to girls on International Women’s Day #iwd17